Exhibit Celebrates History Of Negro Leagues Baseball

LITTLE ROCK — Mosaic Templars Cultural Center will host an opening reception to welcome its newest exhibit, “Shades of Greatness: Art inspired by Negro Leagues Baseball,” from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Friday, Aug. 9.

Shades of Greatness was developed by the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in Kansas City, Mo. The traveling exhibition features 34 works of original art created by national and regional artists. Bill “Youngblood” McCrary, who played in the Negro Leagues for the Kansas City Monarchs, will be the guest speaker. McCrary, of Hot Springs Village, was a Monarch teammate to baseball greats Jackie Robinson, Satchel Paige, Ernie Banks and Buck O’Neil. The opening reception will also feature the live music of Michael Eubanks, along with door prizes and baseball-inspired refreshments. For more information call 501-683-3593. The exhibit will continue though Dec. 1. Mosaic Templars Cultural Center is located at 501 West Ninth Street in downtown Little Rock and is open Tuesday-Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. There is no cost for admittance. FARMINGTON — The Blackburn twins, Lauren and Lindsey, saw something in Lauren’s 10th grade Geometry teacher, Marshall Ward.

When Jessica McCollough announced she wasn’t going to continue coaching volleyball after the 2011 season, the twins spearheaded an effort by Farmington students to persuade Ward to become the school’s next head volleyball coach.

“I never intended on being a coach,” Ward said, explaining McCollough also coaches girls basketball at Farmington.

“It made for a really long season to go straight into basketball after

COURTESY PHOTO “Willie Foster and Young Fans” by Kadir Nelson is part of a traveling exhibit, “Shades of Greatness: Art Inspired by Negro Leagues Baseball,” on display at Little Rock, opening Aug. 9 at the Mosaic Templars Cultural Center, a museum of the Department...